Bad Wurzach

Bad Wurzach is a spa town in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is famous for its health resorts and has the oldest bog spa in Baden-Württemberg. The town sits on one of the largest areas of raised bog in Europe.

Bad Wurzach is about 25 kilometres northeast of Ravensburg and is part of Ravensburg County in the Upper Swabia region.

Since 1950, Bad Wurzach has been known as a spa town and earned the title "Bad." It is the third-largest municipality by area in Baden-Württemberg, after only Stuttgart, the state capital, and Baiersbronn. The town’s natural beauty and health facilities attract many visitors who want to relax and feel better.

Geographical location

Bad Wurzach is a spa town in a wide, low area between the Allgäu and Upper Swabia regions. Near the town is a big marshland called the Wurzacher Ried, a large mire covering almost 7 square miles (18 km²). This marsh is the largest intact raised bog in Central Europe and is protected by the Council of Europe.

The town sits between 650 and 800 metres above sea level.

Municipal subdivisions

Bad Wurzach has several smaller communities. These are Bad Wurzach, Arnach, Dietmanns, Eintürnen, Gospoldshofen, Haidgau, Hauerz, Seibranz, Unterschwarzach, and Ziegelbach.

Neighboring communities

Bad Wurzach is next to several nearby places. To the north, it touches Eberhardzell and Rot an der Rot, which are in the Biberach county. Moving clockwise, it also borders Aitrach, Aichstetten, Leutkirch im Allgäu, Kißlegg, Wolfegg, and Bad Waldsee, all located in the county Ravensburg.

History

Bad Wurzach was first mentioned on June 13, 1273, as "Oppidum Wurzun." In 1333, it received town rights, allowing it to hold markets and build walls for safety.

Over the years, the town faced challenges like wars and sicknesses, which greatly reduced its population.

In the 20th century, Bad Wurzach became known for its health and spa treatments. In 1950, it was officially named "Bad" Wurzach, a title that shows its importance as a spa town. Today, it continues to grow and improve with new buildings and restorations.

Annexation

In 1972, several small villages joined together to become part of Bad Wurzach. This was part of a big change in how the area was organized. The villages that joined were Arnach, Eintürnen, Ziegelbach, Hauerz, Gospoldshofen, Dietmanns, Haidgau, and Seibranz. Some of these places were already close to Bad Wurzach, while others came from nearby areas.

History of the suburbanized communities

Long ago, around the year 950, a knight named Berngarius de Arnanc was mentioned in old records. For many years, these small villages paid taxes to a nearby monastery in Wolfegg. Later, the monastery was given to a local leader, and the taxes went to him instead.

These villages, like Arnach, Dietmanns, Eintürnen, Gospoldshofen, Hauerz, Haidgau, Seibranz, Unterschwarzach, and Ziegelbach, each had their own histories. They belonged to different areas and counties over time, such as Wangen, Biberach, Leutkirch, and Ravensburg. Some started as small groups of houses and later became their own communities.

Religions

The Carthusian Order has a monastery here called Marienau Charterhouse since 1964. It was moved from near Düsseldorf.

Town council

In the local election on 7 June 2009, the CDU got most of the votes and 11 seats. The FWV got some votes and 9 seats. A group called Grüne Offene Liste got a few votes and 1 seat.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Bad Wurzach has friendly links with towns in other countries. These include:

• Luxeuil-les-Bains in France
• Popielów in Poland
• Wallingford in the United Kingdom
• Saint Helier in Jersey

Coat of arms

The city’s coat of arms shows a crawlad. An old story says people in Wurzach long ago loved this little creature. It lived in the town’s creek called "Wurzacher Ach". They chose it as their special symbol.

Culture and places of interest

Bad Wurzach is located on two famous routes: the Swabian-Spa-Road and the Upper Swabian-Baroque-Street. These roads pass many interesting places to visit. The town is also on the Black Forest-Swabian-Alb-Allgäu-Route.

Museums

• Leprosenhaus (Leper House) — This building was once a special hospital and is where the painter Sepp Mahler was born. The museum tells the story of the hospital and has a gallery showing Sepp Mahler's paintings.
• Käserei-Museum (Cheese Dairy Museum) — This museum shows how people made cheese in the Allgäu region long ago, including in the 1930s.
• Museum für klösterliche Kultur (Museum of Monasterial Culture)
• Upper Swabian Torf Museum (Peat Museum of Upper Swabia) — This museum has a nature trail called "On the Tracks of the Peat Cutter."
• Torfbahn im Wurzacher Ried (Peat Railway in the Reed of Wurzach) — Special train rides are offered every second and fourth Sunday of each month. The ride starts at the Zeil peat cuttery, right on Bundesstraße 465, and ends at the Haidgau peat cuttery after traveling through the moor.

Civil works

Bad Wurzach has some important old buildings. Schloss Bad Wurzach is a castle with a pretty staircase from 1728 made by a famous architect. After World War II, the castle was used for French officers and later for some people from the Channel Islands.

There is also a nunnery called Kloster "Maria Rosengarten" with a special chapel from 1763. On Gottesberg Hill, there is a church that keeps a special relic and has an annual event in July where people ride horses and drive chariots.

The Marienau Charterhouse is the only remaining Carthusian monastery in the German-speaking area, but it is not open to visitors.

Natural monuments

Bad Wurzach has special natural areas. One is called Wurzacher Ried. It is a large nature reserve and one of the biggest raised bog areas in Europe. Peat cutting stopped there in 1997 to protect it. Another place is Wachbühl, a hill that is 791 metres (2,595 feet) tall. It is a popular place for hiking and has great views. It is the highest point in the Zeil range.

Friedrich-Schiedel Prize for Literature

Since 1983, the city has given out the Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Literature every two years. The award ceremony happens in the beautiful baroque staircase of the city's castle.

Leisure and sports facilities

Bad Wurzach has many fun places to visit and things to do. There is a thermal spa with a new sauna area. You can swim indoors or outdoors in public pools. You can walk on circular trails through the Wurzacher Ried, skate at a special spot, and play sports on several fields, including one with artificial turf.

There is also an Alpaka Farm, which is a petting zoo near Reed Lake. It covers 12 hectares, making it the largest petting zoo in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

Economy and infrastructure

Traffic

Bad Wurzach is on the Bundesstraße 465. This road connects Kirchheim unter Teck to Leutkirch im Allgäu. Several bus lines link the town to nearby places such as Bad Waldsee, Leutkirch, Isny im Allgäu, Ravensburg, and Biberach. It is part of the Lake Constanza-Upper Swabia Traffic Federation.

A railway line from Rossberg to Bad Wurzach opened in 1904. It closed in 2002, but the town bought it in 2004 to keep it running with help from a company called Connex Cargo Logistics.

Local companies

The biggest employer in Bad Wurzach is a glass factory named Saint-Gobain Oberland AG. This company began in 1946 and is now the German headquarters for the French company Saint-Gobain. It runs four factories in Germany.

Educational institutions

Bad Wurzach has many schools for children and young people. The Gymnasium Salvatorkolleg is a private school that takes nine years and prepares students for university. There are also different types of secondary schools, including a Realschule, a Hauptschule, and a Werkrealschule. The town has six primary schools, a school for students who need extra help, and many kindergartens for younger children.

The city offers six Roman Catholic kindergartens and five others run by the town, giving families many choices for early education.

Spa Service Bad Wurzach

The spa services in Bad Wurzach started in 1948 and made the town a popular place for health and relaxation. Bad Wurzach is known for having the oldest moor-spa in Baden-Württemberg, which began in 1936 and is the only one in the Allgäu area. In 1999, the town opened the "Vitalium," a special place for relaxation and health.

The first treatments using moor-baths to help with muscle and joint problems began in a local nunnery called "Maria Rosengarten." At first, only women could use these treatments, but soon after, men could join too. These treatments became very popular because they helped many people feel better. As more people wanted these treatments, the town built new places to offer them, like the "Kurmittelhaus" in 1948.

In 1950, Bad Wurzach was officially recognized as a "Bad" town, meaning it has a special bath house for therapeutic purposes. This bath house is called the "Moorheilbad." In 1977, a new hotel called the "Kurhotel Moorsanatorium Reischberg" opened, and in 1999, the Vitalium was added, making the town even more attractive for visitors looking for health and relaxation. The Vitalium was updated in 2007 with new features like an outdoor pool and a sauna area. Today, the spa services in Bad Wurzach are run by the town itself and include many different places for people to relax and get treatments.

Notable people

Bad Wurzach has been home to many interesting people. One was Carl Joseph Leiprecht, who became the bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. Another was Father Agnellus Schneider, a writer who cared about nature.

More recently, Gerd Riss became famous for winning motorcycle races many times. Gunther Hartmann, born in 1966, won a big prize in 2012 for his work in medicine. Football player Heiko Butscher also grew up in Bad Wurzach.